1MDB: between myth and reality

No doubt many of you believe this is due to Chinese schools that teach Chinese to become biadap and kurang ajar. But we cannot assume that 100% of Chinese who go to Chinese schools are uncivilised just like not all 100% of Muslims who go to a religious school become suicide bombers or join ISIS.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Man has certain God-given rights. And amongst those rights is the right or freedom to believe. The argument goes: if God did not want you to think, you would not have been given a more superior brain than other creations. You would act based on instinct, like animals, rather than based on rational, like humans are supposed to do.

Everyone demands this right, the right to believe. But not everyone respects that right, the right of others to also believe. As long as you believe what these people also believe, then no problem. But if your belief differs or contradicts what these people believe, then they turn adversary or antagonist.

Turning adversary or antagonist alone is not so bad. But then they believe that since they are your adversary or antagonist that gives them the right to no longer act civil towards you and that they now have the right to be rude and inconsiderate and vilify you.

Yes, every month I receive hundreds of insults, sometimes 20 or 30 insults a day, from people who disagree with my views about one thing or another. And this does not include those insults on Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today and so on. Sometimes it is about politics, other times it could be about religion, or maybe it is just about 1MDB, which has become an obsession to many people until they are incapable of thinking about anything else.

I do not always believe what others believe. And I accept that many others also do not believe what I believe. But I believe in live and let live. To you your belief and to me my belief — lakum deenukum wa liya deen or ‘to you be your way, and to me mine’.

Muslims believe that the Qur’an was inspired by God, who Muslims call Allah. Muslims also believe that Muhammad is the last Prophet of Allah and the only Prophet humankind should be following. Probably only 20% of humankind believes this while the other 80% believe this is nonsense.

But does that give those who believe that Muhammad and the Qur’an are nonsense the right to say nasty things about Islam or Muslims? And does that also give Muslims the right to condemn and vilify all those who do not believe in Islam, Muhammad or the Qur’an?

The same goes for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God or for those who believe in Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, kami-no-michi (the Shinto religion), Jainism, Zoroastrianism, or whatever. That does not give you the right to condemn and vilify other beliefs and neither does that give others the right to do the same to you.

This is something Malaysians need to learn, especially those cyber-bullies, Pakatuns and the DAP Red Bean Army. We shall always differ in beliefs regarding politics and religion, and maybe even regarding 1MDB. But you need to maintain a civil tongue in your head and not demonstrate your low breeding even if you are a product of low breeding.

Christians demand respect from Muslims, just as Muslims demand the same from non-Muslims. Indians demand respect regarding their Hindu temples while Chinese demand respect regarding their mother-tongue education and Chinese schools.

Non-Malays resent being called pendatang and to be told they are ‘guests’ in Malaysia and, therefore, should act like guests and not talk too much or demand all sorts of things — which some Malays say they do not deserve since they do not own Malaysia but Malays own Malaysia (which is why Malays have certain privileges that non-Malays do not).

So, everyone is making demands about respecting their rights and beliefs. Malays may believe that Malaysia should have one only education system in Bahasa Malaysia and that Chinese education should not be recognised just like in all other countries other than China. But that does not give Malays the right to tell the Chinese if they want to go to Chinese schools then they should go back to China. That is very rude and does not take into consideration the feelings of the Chinese.

Yes, Chinese, too, have feelings, as do everyone else in Malaysia. No doubt the Chinese DAP Red Bean Army do not care about the feelings of others and they post very racist, anti-Islam, personal and nasty comments in the social media. But we cannot punish all Chinese just because the DAP Chinese are foul-mouthed and uncouth.

No doubt many of you believe this is due to Chinese schools that teach Chinese to become biadap and kurang ajar. But we cannot assume that 100% of Chinese who go to Chinese schools are uncivilised just like not all 100% of Muslims who go to a religious school become suicide bombers or join ISIS.

Anyway, there are some who believe what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the opposition say about 1MDB. Then there are some who do not because they are capable of thinking rationally. Nevertheless, you have your right to believe whatever you want to believe, even believe that there is a God living in the clouds about us, as long as you respect the right of others to believe otherwise.

So, before you post your next nasty comment vilifying and insulting another person who believes what you do not believe, or vice versa, ponder on whether the comment you are about to post just reflects on how badly your parents brought you up and that the fruit does not fall far from the tree. As they say, you can take the person out of the kampung, rubber estate or new village but you can never take the kampung, rubber estate or new village out of the person.